Acoustic Spotlight Presents: Raul Reynoso"It wasn't intentional. The whole thing was a happy accident." That's Raul Reynoso's explanation of his over thirty-five year musical career. Don't believe it for a minute, folks. His success as one of California's most sought after performers can be attributed to extraordinary talent, perseverance, hard work, open mindedness, a variety of interests and a huge dose of curiosity.
Raul's Latin music heritage laid the foundation. "My Dad was born in the US but spent the first eighteen years of his life in Mexico. My grandfather played guitar, mandolin and violin but I never heard him play." Raul was born in Los Angeles and grew up in the San Gabriel Valley. "I grew up speaking Spanish and English. My Dad listened to the Spanish channels. My favorite groups were the romantic trios, Trio los Panchos and los Tres Reyes. The music is lyrically beautiful, has great harmonies and even if you don't understand the language, you get it. They play amazing rhythms and the guitar is exquisite. Listening to them I was getting good ear training." Raul's uncles played guitar. At his cousins' house he got to experience the music live. "One day I got the guitar from under the bed and tried it. I had just heard the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show and was impressed. I fooled around with it every chance I got. My uncle told Dad, 'Raul seems to have a knack for music.' I was about fourteen years old. Before long my Dad came home from a swap meet with a guitar he bought for two dollars and fifty cents. I started figuring it out. People heard me and gave lots of encouragement. I had no money for books and lessons so I learned from recordings and observing others. Sometimes I went to the music store and studied a page in a book then rushed home to practice it before I forgot it. If I broke a string I went to the garage where my Dad had a lot of fishing line and selected some about the correct gauge and strung a new one. I never imagined that one day companies would be giving me strings for my guitar."
When he had it pretty much figured out on his own Raul took a lesson. He was about seventeen years old. The teacher wasn't interested. He gave Raul a few pointers and left the room. "The experience soured me on teaching. I learned a valuable lesson, though. I would never treat a student that way. I enjoy watching people learn. They remind me of myself as a young student." Raul is a sought-after teacher at several music camps. He has taught at the Colorado Roots Music Camp since its beginning. "I like being in one place for a week and watching people develop."
Raul began playing professionally in 1976. "Someone saw me and asked if I would like to play with him. I got valuable experience in small groups. I played in a band at Lake Tahoe for three years. Someone saw me and recommended me to Larry McNeely." Raul participated in Larry's Power Play CD. It was his first in-studio recording. During this time he played at festivals all over the country with McNeely. "I learned to practice more efficiently. Playing with Larry validated what I was doing. I had taken some piano and notation classes at Jr. College. I always wanted to do anything to find out what I could do better." Doc Watson is Raul's flatpicker role model. "He is a real straight ahead player. Anyone who wants to learn flatpicking should spend a lot of time with Doc's recordings."
In the late 70s many guitar magazines featured stories about Django Reinhardt, the great gypsy jazz guitarist. Raul was intrigued and began to study his recordings and practice his style. "Django was the ultimate flatpicker. The entire left side of his body was burned in a fire. He only had the use of his index and ring finger on his left hand. In his honor I learned to play using two fingers like he did. I was just guessing how he did it from listening to his recordings. When I saw a short film of him it was amazing to see him in action. He became a huge hero of mine." Reviewer Rick Shubb wrote, "Raul is one of the leading American guitarists in this [Django Reinhardt] style, he is by no means a Django clone. He knows the book as well as anyone, but seldom quotes it verbatim. His tone is a bit warmer and fatter than his European counterparts, and he will sometimes opt for simpler (to my taste, more elegant) phrasing. His timing has a relaxed swing even at the fastest tempos. I think Raul's recording of "Nuages" is the best ever." The Reinhardt influence and interest in bluegrass led Raul to Western Swing, which he plays with New West.
For about three years Raul participated in guitar contests in Southern California. "I entered to see if I could do it on my own. Your rhythm and concept have to be strong to be successful at it. I have no urge to enter contests now." Raul earned two Western Regional Flatpicking Championships and was twice nominated for best instrumentalist by the Western Music Association. Raul has played at the Grand Ole Opry and appeared on Dan Crary's Primal Twang: The Legacy of the Guitar DVD. He played in groups for Disney in the Park for ten years. "We played bluegrass in Frontierland at the Thunder Mountain railroad attraction, Dixieland music on Main Street and Django Reinhardt as the Rhythm Brothers in the French Market. During that time I wrote most of the songs for my CD, Royal Street. It was great playing with those guys. Every day was a learning experience. They were such accomplished musicians."
Raul does not tour as much as before but is in high demand in California. "Locally I perform under my own name mostly at corporate shows. It is not open for the public but is nice because I have a budget and can pull in the performers I enjoy playing with. There is funding for plane tickets and a good sound system." Last summer he appeared at the Wet Mountain Western Jubilee in Westcliffe, Colorado with New West and works with the Rhythm Brothers at various venues. "I think my first performance in Colorado was at the Black Rose Acoustic Society (BRAS). I really like playing there. It is a great venue and a great audience." Hopefully Raul will be on the BRAS stage again soon. It will be a real treat. "
Focus features musicians and groups from the past and contemporary performers. These musicians are selected because of their contributions to the preservation and enjoyment of acoustic music.
